


Accepted

by cantfuckinbelievethis



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Accepted AU, Comedy, F/M, First time writing these characters, Fluff, Hardly any angst, M/M, a LOT of backstory is adjusted to match the narrative, literally just the characters kinda plonked down into new lives, mention of anxiety, still college, very very ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-03-22 03:38:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13755507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cantfuckinbelievethis/pseuds/cantfuckinbelievethis
Summary: Jack has been pulled into a lot of Shitty's schemes, but none as complex as this one.After Jack receives his latest college rejection letter, Shitty takes it upon himself to devise a novel way to fool everyone into thinking they are college-bound: open their own university. However, they do their jobs too well, and soon many other rejects try to gain admittance to the nonexistent Samwell University.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first step into the Check, Please fanfic world! I feel like I need to work on how I'm writing the characters (especially since all I usually write is Shameless and these guys are VASTLY different). Please let me know what you think!!
> 
> Disclaimer that none of the characters belong to me, they're all created and owned by the amazing, Ngozi Ukazu!

‘Say “ _I’m gonna get schwasted_!”’ Shitty laughed before taking the photo of the next student to get their fake ID.  
  
    How Jack got pulled into yet another Shitty scheme, he’d never know. It was a worry, though. He had been a pretty good student, gotten good grades and joined the hockey team for the first two years of high school before dropping out due to mental health issues, but he had spent more time doing stupid stuff with Shitty than preparing for college applications. He’d applied, but who knew if he was doing to get in?  
  
    Leaning against the classroom door, he rolled his eyes as Dex stepped up to get his photo taken. Dude was literally shaking like a leaf, even though he signed himself up for this. Just before Shitty pressed the shutter, Jack took notice of something and cleared his throat. When Ransom looked back at him questioningly, he pointed at Dex’s shirt. Ransom frowned and looked back before sighing.  
  
    ‘Bro, you’re wearing your high school shirt while trying to get a picture taken to say you’re twenty-one.’  
  
    Blushing a brighter red than any human had ever done, Dex quickly ripped the shirt off and just stood in his plain undershirt, looking extremely guilty as Shitty took the photo. Exchanging looks, Shitty and Ransom shrugged.  
  
    ‘Maybe we can photoshop the blush out somehow,’ Shitty suggested.  
  
    Jack rolled his eyes yet again, wondering why he let Shitty do stuff like this before taking a peek out the door to see the Vice Principal coming their way. Spinning back around, he hissed, ‘He’s coming!’  
  
    ‘Shit!’ Ransom hissed, waving at people to get moving to clean up the photography set they had going there. He was unable to move as he had broken his leg a few weeks ago, so he just had to stand there and watch as everyone raced to pack up.  
  
    Jack peeked out the door again to see the Vice Principal getting closer and closer. Panicking, he shut the door and spun around to see Shitty already gathering everyone up in one small group to begin singing. He frowned, really confused, but immediately sprinting over to join them as the door handle jiggled behind him. Just as the Vice Principal stepped in, he was standing beside Dex as they were all singing Saints Go Marching In.  
  
    ‘What the hell are you all doing in here?’ the Vice Principal snapped.  
  
    Shitty spun around as if shocked, smiling slightly and saying, ‘Oh, Vice Principal! I didn’t see you there. Welcome to Glee Club.’  
  
    The Vice Principal’s eyes narrowed. ‘We don’t have a Glee Club, Mr. Knight.’  
  
    ‘But don’t you think it’s about time we start?’ Shitty questioned. ‘In these times of high school still being a jungle in which toxic masculinity and misogyny reigns supreme, shouldn’t we be encouraging our young masculine-aligned people to engage in activities that are typically considered “feminine”?’  
  
    ‘There are girls in here,’ the Vice Principal pointed out.  
  
    ‘Are you suggesting we go back to the days of prohibiting women-aligned people from engaging in whatever activities they see fit? If we encourage male-aligned people to engage in activities while prohibiting female-aligned people, aren’t we just repeating the same problem?’  
  
    The Vice Principal sighed, rolling his eyes. ‘Thank God you’re graduating so I don’t have to listen to this liberal nonsense of yours, Mr. Knight. Now, would you please all _get out_?’  
  
    They all filed out in a group, making sure to hide the camera between them as they left. While Dex, Ransom, and everyone else split off, Jack and Shitty walked together to their next class.  
  
    ‘Shits, you have to stop including me in this stuff,’ Jack said. ‘You know I’m a fourth-generation Zimmermann to go to Harmon College, okay? I can’t screw that up — I have to get in.’  
  
    ‘Jack, listen to me,’ Shitty said seriously, stopping them mid-walk to look deeply into his best friend’s eyes. ‘We’re all going to get into college. And we’re gonna join the most non-misogynistic hockey team we can find, make some buds, etc. It’s gonna be fine. Also…Your dad didn’t go to Harmon, did he?’  
  
    ‘Nope. He went on to get drafted before he even went to college,’ Jack sighed. ‘But seeing as that didn’t end up being what happened to me, I have to do this or I’ll be a _complete_ disappointment.’  
  
    ‘I really don’t think Bad Bob and Alicia Zimmermann — literally the most chill parents in existence — are going to—’  
  
    ‘Jack! Jack!’ a distinctly Southern accent called out as a small body raced across the lawn towards he and Shitty.  
  
    ‘Bittle!’ Jack said, voice immediately softening at the sight of his crush. ‘Hey, how are you?’  
  
    He had been in love with Eric Bittle ever since he had been his partner in Culinary Studies when he moved up from Georgia. Shitty knew it, Ransom knew it, Dex knew it — the only person who didn’t seem to know it, was Bittle himself.  
  
    ‘Good, good!’ Bittle answered excitedly. ‘Now, honey, I really wanted to ask you something. It’s really short notice — I’m so sorry about that, by the way, Coach was being weird about it — but prom is coming up, and I’m having a party at my house beforehand, and I was hoping you would—’  
  
    ‘Yes, of course!’  
  
    ‘—mow our lawn,’ Bittle finished off, and Shitty whistled lowly as Jack’s face dropped. Looking between Jack and Shitty’s obvious disappointment, he blushed harshly. ‘Oh, Lord, where are my manners! You’re both welcome to come, of course! I just really need the lawn mowed, and I know you sometimes do it for other people around the neighbourhood for work. I would do it myself, but that damn lawnmower really knows how to test my patience, bless its heart.’  
  
    ‘Oh, well, I’ll…yes, I would be _happy_ to mow your lawn, Bittle.’ Jack gave him a half-hearted smile. ‘And thanks for the invitation, eh?’  
  
    ‘Thank you so, so much!’ Bittle grinned, before turning around at the sound of a beep.  
  
    ‘Yo, Bits!’ Kent Parson called out from his SUV. ‘Hurry up and get in here, babe!’  
  
    Bittle blushed, turning back to Jack and Shitty. ‘Sorry, I have to go. Thank you so much, and I’ll see you both at the party, right?’  
  
    ‘Of course,’ Jack said, smiling again, only it turned colder as his eyes met Kent’s over Bittle’s shoulder.  
  
    ‘Later, Bitty,’ Shitty said as Bittle ran off to get into Kent’s car. ‘Man, I cannot _believe_ your new crush is dating your old boyfriend. Have you told Bitty what a fucking _dickhead_ Parse is yet?’  
  
    ‘We were both horrible to each other,’ Jack sighed, scratching at his head and turning away. ‘Leave it alone, Shitty.’  
  


* * *

Jack finally got home to find his seventh, and final, rejection letter. There was no real way to spin this — he wasn’t going to college. At all. All of his letters had been safety schools until this final one — the one where he was supposed to get accepted into Harmon, but he didn’t. So as he sat down with his parents, he prepared himself for his parents’ reaction. As Shitty said, his parents were pretty great, but even this might rattle them.  
  
    ‘I don’t understand,’ his dad said. ‘Is it just Harmon…or all of the ones you applied to?’  
  
    ‘All of them,’ Jack sighed, pushing his face into his hands and trying to steady his breathing. ‘I know you’re disappointed—’  
  
    ‘Jack, I hate to say this, but I am. You know we love Shitty, but you spent too much time messing around with him instead of buckling down, especially after you had to quit hockey so you had no extra-curriculars.’  
  
    ‘Well, Bob, there’s plenty of people who didn’t go to college who are successful,’ his mom chimed in.  
  
    ‘Not in this job market,’ Jack sighed. ‘Look, I’m sorry, okay? I have no idea what I’m going to do, either.’ Standing up and slamming down his napkin, he exclaimed, ‘I have no fucking clue!’  
  
    Feeling his breathing getting away from him, he immediately raced upstairs and shut the door. He allowed himself time to get through his panic attack before calling Shitty and telling him all about it.  
  
    ‘Well, man, at least you’re not alone. I didn’t get in, neither did Ransom or Lardo.’  
  
    ‘What?! Lardo’s been working to get into art school for years!’  
  
    ‘Too many rich assholes got into it before her, I guess,’ Shitty sighed. ‘She’s real bummed about it.’ After a moment, he paused. ‘But…actually…I’m thinking there’s something I can do about it all.’  
  
    Frowning, Jack asked, ‘What?’  
  
    ‘Just check your mail in the morning,’ Shitty said before hanging up.  
  
    Jack sighed for the twentieth time that night, rolling over to look at the ceiling and hoping that somehow he’d get through this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting to update this again! Next chapter may also be a little while, because my writing motivation is shit atm

When Jack woke up the next morning, he remembered what Shitty said on the phone last night and headed down to the mail box. He would’ve gone on his early morning run, but even he felt too depressed to do so right now. He frowned as he saw an envelope sitting inside the mail box, despite the fact that the mail wasn’t supposed to come until ten am.  
  
    He pulled out the envelope to see it was addressed to him with a big, unrecognisable “S” logo in the corner. He frowned and opened it to see an acceptance letter to him from…Samwell University. A University he’s never heard of and definitely didn’t apply to. Huffing to himself, he knew he had to get over to Shitty’s and find out what he did immediately.  
  
    Throwing on some clothes, Jack decided to use the travel to Shitty’s for his morning run — drink bottle in one hand and acceptance letter in the other. Mrs. Knight frowned disapprovingly as Jack apologised for coming over so early and rushed into the Knight household. Barging into Shitty’s room, he found Shitty lying in his bed half-naked, and Ransom asleep on an air mattress next to him. Jack threw down the acceptance letter onto Shitty — the slap effectively waking them both.  
  
    ‘Samwell University, Shits, really?’  
  
    Shitty sleepily grinned a little as he rolled over to look at Jack. ‘I’ll have you know we spent a good solid four hours on that shit.’  
  
    ‘Who is “we”?’ Jack frowned, looking down at Ransom, who looked increasingly guilty. ‘Are you really in on this?’  
  
    Ransom nodded sheepishly.  
  
    ‘Lardo and Dex too!’ Shitty spoke up from his bed. ‘They helped design the website!’  
  
    ‘Website?’ Jack repeated, aghast.  
  
    ‘You know Lardo didn’t get into any of her art schools, bro,’ Shitty said, ‘which is a shame, because, you should see that website, that girl is an artist. And Dex didn’t get in anywhere on scholarship, so he for sure isn’t going.’  
  
    ‘And I lost my athletic scholarship when I broke my knee, Jack,’ Ransom sighed.  
  
    ‘Why didn’t you apply for some kind of academic scholarship, then?’ Jack demanded. ‘You’re plenty smart enough!’  
  
    ‘Thought I had the athletic one in the bag,’ Ransom mumbled. ‘Besides, at least this means you’re not gonna be alone in this whole fake-university thing, man! We all gave ourselves an acceptance letter.’  
  
    ‘C’mon, bro,’ Shitty said, sitting up and grabbing Jack by the hand. ‘You need to do _something_ , or you’re going to end up working as a runner on one of Alicia’s films. And although that woman is a superhero, man — there’s nothing worse than working on a film set as one of the crew.’  
  
    Jack sighed, looking down at he and Shitty’s clasped hands. They were best friends, and he knew Shitty would never get him into something that he thought could hurt him, even if it did end up doing so. Shitty always had Jack’s best intentions at heart with his stupid plans. So, like an idiot, Jack nodded, making Ransom and Shitty cry out in victory.  
  


* * *

  
Walking back home, Jack wasn’t sure if he was really going to do this. If he was really, _actually_ , going to pretend he got into a university when he didn’t — when it was all fake. Still, he found himself wandering into breakfast, holding out the letter to his parents, and accepting their congratulations as if he was doing it all subconsciously.  
  
    As his dad set off to leave for the day, he gave him a little slap on the back and handed him a check for first semester’s tuition. ‘Your mother and I can’t wait to drop you off for your first day, Jack.’  
  
    Jack faked a smile, feeling his anxiety rise before he heard the door shut behind his dad. He flopped down on the couch in defeat and groaned as he realised how deep in this he’d gotten himself. This was really happening.  
  
    It took a few minutes for what his dad said to really register, and then a new wave of panic flushed over him. Pulling out his phone, he started a new group chat, called _Students of Samwell_.  
  
     **Jack:** We need to find a place to lease to pretend to be Samwell.  
     **Shits:** Look who’s finally coming around!!  
   **Jack:** Ha ha. My parents want to drop me off.     Rans: Where are we going to find a place to pass off as a college? How are we going to afford it?  
  
    Jack looked down at the check his dad gave him, and felt a rush of guilt even as he made the decision and typed out the message.  
  
     **Jack:** My dad gave me some money for college.  
     **Shits:** Whoa, Jack. U sure u wanna do this, bro?? U can change ur mind.  
   **Jack:** Don’t really have a choice.  
     **Lardo:** Well…I may know a place…  
  


* * *

  
As Dex cracked open the door to the old Harmon Psychiatric Hospital with a crowbar, Jack immediately felt paranoid. Who knew when they would be caught? Would they be arrested? What would his dad think?  
  
    ‘How’d you know about this place, Lards?’ Ransom asked as they all strolled in.  
  
    Jack lingered at the door, peeking in before taking a scan of their outside surroundings to make sure no one was watching them.  
  
    ‘Used to volunteer here,’ Lardo said, looking around at the debris that surrounded them.  
  
    In Jack’s opinion, it was a shit-show — almost unsalvageable. How were they going to turn this mouldy, broken down place into what was supposed to be a top-tier college?  
  
    ‘This is breaking and entering, you know,’ Jack piped up from the door.  
  
    Shitty wandered over and gently guided Jack in, shutting the door behind them. ‘C’mon, bro. It’s fine. Anyway, we don’t have to renovate the whole place, just the essential areas.’ He excitedly jumped over to the corner of the room that led to a hallway. ‘Look, out here is the main lobby, this is the hallway that lead down to the _dorms_. I think this can work with a little can-do attitude, some elbow grease…’  
  
    ‘A smile from Zimmermann,’ Ransom teased, sending Jack a wink.  
  
    Shitty nodded. ‘Yep, we need one of them! Besides, I may or may have not seen a swimming pool outside that could be transformed into some kind of hockey rink with the right amount of money…’  
  
    Jack sighed, scratching the back of his neck. ‘Fine, let’s make Samwell a reality.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: cantfuckinbelievethis

**Author's Note:**

> If you can, please give me some constructive criticism on how I'm writing any characters that don't sound right! Especially Jack, because he is just an enigma to me (also I'm trying to get used to writing Bitty too).


End file.
